Renokrew has experienced rapid growth as they take on and continue to complete a series of successful projects, ranging from emergency housing initiatives, women’s shelters, to designing and constructing 3GG Certified apartment complexes for Defence Construction Canada and the Canadian Forces. At the root of these successes lies a set of solid values that are centered on delivering the highest quality of work to their clients as well as retaining the very best when it comes to staffing. The mixture of the two has allowed the company to grow their revenue and client base at an impressive rate with their headquarters in Toronto, a second office in Ottawa, and ambitious plans to continue expanding. Renokrew has been in operation for over a decade, with its roots growing from the family construction business started by Mr. Francisco J. Pinto in the mid-nineties.
Executive Director and Managing Partner, Pedro Pinto is the second generation to be involved, along with his brother Lucas. “We are a family here” he says, “We treat our employees as if they are family, and continue to succeed together. We aim to make people feel they are at home.” This approach helps them attract and retain top talent, which creates a cohesive work environment, and ultimately a better result and experience for clients. The synchronicity between staff, customers, communities, subcontractors and suppliers is what sets them apart and makes a true difference in the level of quality work they deliver.
As for the services that Renokrew provides, “We are General Contractors and Construction Managers,” explains Pedro. “We focus on Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sectors as Constructors, Design-Builder and Construction Contract Managers.” With an abundant history of successful projects throughout Canada, Renokrew has built mutually beneficial relationships with a range of Consultants, Subcontractors and Owners. “Between the two offices in Toronto and Ottawa, we have a full-time staff of 29” says Pedro. During COVID they maintained all staffing and positions. The nature of that work performed during this time was considered essential, with most in the institutional sector, in occupied Shelters and Hospices. “It’s an area that we’ve become well known for, we have completed a number of emergency housing initiatives within the last year in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.” Pedro went on to explain, “We are currently in a few shelter redevelopments for the city – these are larger projects that have been ongoing for about a year and a half now.”
“It’s an area that we’ve become well known for, we have completed a number of emergency housing initiatives within the last year in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.”
These projects that were deemed “essential” with regards to COVID-19, and, although they were clearly beneficial in regards to being able to keep all staff employed, they came with a new set of challenges and risks. Infection Prevention came to the forefront of construction. “Some owners were forced to take a three-month pause on contracts as they needed to relocate people from occupied shelters for us to continue our work,” recalls Pedro. “That was challenging.” These hurdles became learning experiences and Renokrew powered through. An example of the recent projects included creating more bed space for an emergency women’s shelter. Renokrew was awarded Constructor for the extensive renovation and new four-story expansion to the existing building, which involved facing challenges head-on amid constraints. A prime example of this was one project, tasked with working in a tight space in an upscale neighborhood with limited access and a compressed footprint amid a new high-rise development directly next door. The “can-do” attitude that runs throughout the Renokrew staff ensures success even when faced with these logistical and site specific difficulties. Last year they designed and built two three-story complexes for the Canadian Forces Housing Agency on Base Borden. “We were then asked to design and execute the civil and new roadway infrastructure to serve the new developments,” says Pedro. The project was successfully completed ahead of the scheduled occupancy in mid 2020.
It comes as no surprise that revenues are quickly on the rise, “The year 2020 was the best year to date in revenue terms and we are on track to double revenues in 2021,” says Pedro. Not bad for a year when COVID made its presence felt across the globe. “The work was always there. All of our projects were deemed “essential,” basically it was about getting ahead of the curve – creating and implementing new policies and procedures, orienting staff, planning and hosting COVID response training, and ensuring our teams and subcontractors were well versed with screening, new protocols, outbreak control, and day to day operations with increased PPE and distancing requirements for all visitors and staff. At Renokrew, we are strong believers that regardless of the work we do, each one of us plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining a safe work environment. Safety is key to our success and to honour our commitment, we have created and implemented an industry leading Health and Safety approach” says Pedro. “Our track record speaks for itself. To date, we are pleased to have achieved over 500,000 consecutive derived hours worked, without a single lost time injury. Our teams ensure all operations are performed to the highest of standards and this has earned us as a COR™ certified company. We pride on an exceptional safety record and intend to continue this way.”
And so it’s onwards and upwards for Renokrew, they are currently expanding operations and looking for a new head office location for the growing company. “We are seeking additional office space and are eager to add new Project Managers, Coordinators and Quality Control Supervisors.” With the main office in Toronto, Ottawa – which started as a satellite office – has been picking up speed and has most recently reached Substantial Completion on an Infrastructure Ontario heritage project. As for the future, the plan is to continue to grow “and eventually become constructors and developers of our own,” he adds. “We’d like to be handling our own developments in the very near future.”
Pedro is quick to pay tribute to all those who have helped along the way, from Renokrew staff to the various industry associations that Renokrew are members of. These include the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and the Ottawa Construction Association (OCA). “They have been very helpful,” says Pedro. “They have our back and contribute to our success.”
“We’d like to be handling our own developments in the very near future.”
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the relationships you build with people in the field, organizations and of course, the clients. Treating people right, building trust and feeling connected is a part of their core values. This is not a vague notion or a marketing slogan, Renokrew continues to prove the importance placed on those values. Giving back to the communities in which they operate is just one of those ways.
In short, this team “walks the walk” in life and in business. From schools and shelters to hospices and various hospitals, each project Renokrew completes has a winning formula: a professional proactive approach, supported by a wealth of talent, an emphasis on the latest technology and a set of real and tangible values, with the client placed front and centre. “We are evolving, we are driven, we are professional and family-oriented. We put ourselves in the clients’ shoes,” says Pedro. “Working for different levels of the private and public sectors, we value the trust put in us and treat every project like it’s our own.”
